![]() Roku is often the first to get new channels, plus the company has a good track record of bringing updates to its boxes and apps. ![]() Over 2,000 apps: Roku is the winner when it comes to content (see the chart below), with a massive channel library that includes Netflix, Amazon Instant, HBO Go, Hulu Plus, Pandora, Spotify, Rdio, MLB.TV, NFL Now, Amazon Cloud Player, Vudu, PBS, TWC TV and, yes, YouTube. And with the latest app updates, a price drop to $79 the Nexus Player is gaining appeal (not so much the $200 Nvidia Shield, however). Meanwhile Apple TV and Fire TV have plenty of good points, particularly if you've already bought a lot of music, movies or TV shows from Apple or Amazon. For bargain hunters the cheaper Roku Streaming Stick is nearly as good, and the Google Chromecast is so cheap it's almost an impulse purchase. If you don't mind spending another $30 for the Roku 3, you'll get a fancier remote with voice search and a built-in headphone jack (both of which have been removed from the new Roku 2). That said, it's not necessarily the best choice for every buyer. That's why it earned a 5-star review and our current Editors' Choice award. ![]() And the Roku 2 delivers the fastest performance for the least amount of money of any Roku device. The Roku platform remains our favorite, with the most apps, the best search and an interface that doesn't prioritize one content provider - like Amazon or Apple - over any other. Simple answer: Just buy the Roku 2ĭespite Apple TV's new price of $69 and its exclusive access to HBO Now through July, and despite the Fire TV Stick's $40 price, increasing app selection and travel-friendly chops, we like the new $70 Roku 2 best of all. Whichever one you buy, chances are you'll use it all the time. These five aren't the only streamers on the market, but they're the most popular and for good reason - they all cost under $100 and offer a lot of value for your money. Depending on where someone's particular needs lie, both of these gadgets are easy to recommend.If you're looking to buy a media-streaming player, it's likely you'll end up choosing between four kinds of products: Chromecast, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV.Īnd if you happen to be a hard-core Google fan, you might be considering the Google Nexus Player and Android TV. For Android folks, the Chromecast with Google TV delivers many of the same streaming features at a much lower price. For iPhone users that want the Apple experience everywhere they go, the Apple TV 4K is worth the increased cost over the Chromecast. ![]() That ultimately makes this a matter of ecosystem preference. Its improved performance and storage are things that all users can enjoy, but it isn't worth an extra $130 over the Chromecast with Google TV for those two things alone. It's not a deal-breaker, by any means, but it is noticeably slower compared to Apple's streaming box.įor anyone with an iPhone, the benefits of the Apple TV 4K keep piling on. There's a virtual Apple TV remote in the iPhone's Control Center, the Apple TV acts as a hub for HomeKit smart home devices so they can be controlled from anywhere, it's the only way to access Apple Fitness+ on a television, and the new Color Balance feature uses an iPhone's light sensor to automatically adjust colors for anything playing on the Apple TV.Īs many of these features only matter to iPhone users, however, the Apple TV 4K doesn't make much sense for anyone outside of the Apple ecosystem. It gets the job done and runs streaming apps just fine, but it's also prone to lagging/stuttering when navigating applications. By comparison, the Chromecast features a quad-core Amlogic processor. From navigating apps, playing games, or streaming 4K video, the Apple TV 4K keeps up with it all. It's powered by Apple's A12 processor (the same one used for the iPhone XS), which translates to extremely fast performance for just about anything. Another perk of the Apple TV 4K is its performance. That should be enough for most people, but for anyone who subscribes to many streaming services, it is possible to fill up that 8 GB rather quickly. Users can choose between 32 or 64GB of space, whereas the Chromecast is limited to just 8GB. For one thing, the Apple TV 4K has considerably more storage than the Chromecast. Having so much in common with the Apple TV 4K is a good look for the Chromecast with Google TV, but that's not to say the two devices are completely equal.
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